Portable scaffolding folding unit



Oct. l1, 1955 v. w. MENG Erm.

PORTABLE SCAF'F'OLDING FOLDING UNIT 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April l0,1952 Oct. 11, 1955 v. w. MENG Erm. 2,720,430

PORTABLE SCAFFOLDING FOLDING UNIT Filed April 10, 1952 4 sheets-Sheet 2l Z .5A/o 70 g'g .5W/N6 90 I Hauff? To I 33a fe/'l' ATORIVEY Oct. 11,1955 v, w. Ml-:NG ETAL 2,720,430

PORTABLE SCAFFOLDING FOLDING UNIT Filed April 10, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 3Z' l ,Z9/3f ,94,

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OCI. 11, 1955 v w, MENG ETAL PORTABLE SCAFF'OLDING FOLDING UNIT 4Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 10, 1952 United States Patent O PORTABLESCAFFOLDING FOLDING UNIT Vi'ctor W. Meng, New Hyde Park, and Arthur C.Borgmau, Franklin Square, N. Y., assignors to The Patent ScaffoldingCo., Inc., Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of New YorkApplication April 1o, 1952, serial No. 281,582

2 Claims. (c1. 304-2) This invention relates to portable scaffoldingfolding units.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and convenient foldingunits, in which end frames are folded in respect to the basic or frontframe, in book cover like fashion, whereby the parts remaining Verticalare under control of the operator during the folding operation.

The invention consists in the combination of a basic or front frame, endframes each pivotally connected with an end of said basic frame, aplatform member, to hold the end frames in operative position, and astepladder withinthe end frames foldable to vertical position adjacentsaid end frames when said end frames are folded in respect to the basicor main frame while the main or front frame remains in verticalposition.

Various embodiments of suchinventions have been described showing themanner in which said principle of the invention is carried out.

The invention will be further described, embodiments shown in thedrawings, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. l is a perspective view of the improved scaffolding unit;

Fig. 2 isa top view of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a front view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a right end View of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a detail left end View of the hinge side;

Fig. 6 is a sectional View on line 6-6 of Fig. 3, of larger scale;

Fig. 7 is a top view when said unit isin folded position showing one endframe folded over one side of the base frame, and the other end framefolded over said end frame;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a modified form of the unit; and

Fig. 9 is a top View of the parts of Fig. 8 when in folded position,showing one end frame folded over one side of the base frame, and theother end frame folded over the other side of the base frame.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout.

Referring to the drawings, a base frame A has at one end a short bracket11 extending inwardly thereof, and at the other end a longer bracket 12also extending inwardly therefrom. Each of the brackets 11 and 12 aresecured as by welding, to the uprights 13 and 14, respectively, of thebase frame A. Triangular plates 15 and 16 are secured as by welding tothe uprights 13 and 14, and to the top horizontal bar 17 joining theuprights 13 and 14, a like bar 18 joining the lower ends of the uprights13 and 14. These two horizontal bars 17 and 1S, and the uprights 13 and14 secured to their ends form the base frame A.

Each of the brackets 11 and 12 have a pivot pin 19, and a shoulder 20.

Two end frames B and C are provided. Each consists of an upright 22, andan upright 23 of smaller length, with ice two horizontals 24 and 25,joining said uprights to form a frame entity. The horizontals 24 and 25extend beyond the upright 23, and are each provided with a hollowcrcular member 26 having a bore 27 for the entry of the correspondingpivot pin 19 of the base frame A, which member 26 rests on the shoulder20 of the brackets 11.

A stay bar 28 of any angular direction is provided in each of the endframes B and C, for strengthening the same.

A top platform frame D in the embodiment shown has a horizontal 30,having at each end a paw like member 30a, and 30h, each partiallyembracing the top horizontals 24, so as to be readily detachable. Fromsaid horizontal 30, two horizontals 3'1 and 32 extend to the tophorizontal 17 of the base frame A, and have hinge members 33 surroundingthe horizontal 17 which hinge member 33` may, however, be also paw likemembers to provide for detachability, so that the top platform frame Dformed of said horizontal 30and horizontals 31 and 32, may be detached,if desired, as shown in Fig. 8.

Strengthening horizontals 34 and 35 are arranged parallel with thehorizontal 30. In the embodiment shown, the platform frame D, permits,as known, plywood sheetings to beplaced thereon, to form the platformfor the feet of the workmen. Being known, these Wooden plankngs are notshown.

The horizontal 31 is spaced from the horizontal 24 of the end frame B,and the horizontal 32` is spaced from the horizontal 24 of the end frameC, a greater distance, to permit for a space 4t), correspondingapproximately to the width of a step ladder E,.which has its lower end42 hinged to the lower horizontal 18 of the base frame A, and has at itsother or top end 43, paw like members` 44 detachably engaging` the tophorizontal 30 of the platform D.

With the parts arranged as described, a facile foldingis provided.Referring to Fig. l, the upper end ofthe stepladder E is disengaged fromthe horizontal 30 of the platform frame D, and is swung on its lower endflat against the` horizontal 171of the base frame. The platform D isthen detached in its entirety or swung on its hinge members 33, thehorizontal acting` as a pivot shaft down wardly until substantially llatwith the base frame A.

Any braces such as 50 and 51, as known, are now removed.

This leaves the end frames B and C free. The` end frame Bis now swungagainst the inner part of the base frame A, and the end frame C is thenswung 90 towards and over the end frame B, as shown in compacted form inFig. 7. Thereby, the scaffolding unit may be readily transported in booklike folded position.

Referring to the embodiment of Fig. l, if it be desired to place thestepladder in a different position, that is, instead of parallel to theend frames B or C, to place it at right angle to the base frame B, it isonly necessary to provide a platform D, in which the horizontal 32 isshifted in parallelism to the horizontal 24 and close to it, so as toeliminate the space 40. The paws 44 of the stepladder are then placed onthe horizontal 31 adjacent the base frame A, and the lower end hinged tothe lower horizontal 25 of the end frame C. The stepladder is thenfolded against the horizontal 40 closely adjacent the horizontal 24, andinto a vertical position substantially parallel with the end frame C,and on folding the ladder is swung with the end frame C over the endframe B as described.

Telescopic joints, well known, and not shown, may be added to the top ofthe uprights, to enable one unit to be superposed on the other.

In Fig. 8 is shown a perspective View of a. modied form of hook typescaffolding unit. The reference characters which are like those of thepreceding figures are marked with an a, and as the detail views of Fig.1, make clear the principle of the invention, such detail views are notrepeated for the embodiment of Fig. 8, save that in Fig. 9 the compactedform is shown.

The base frame Aa has the end frames Baand Ca pivotably secured thereto.The platform member Da is hinged by the hinge members 33a to thehorizontal 17a, but these may be replaced by paw like members, if it bedesired to have the platform detachable to reduce the lifting weight ofthe compacted form.

The horizontal 30a has at one end a paw like member 32aY over thehorizontal 25a and has its other end seated on a support 63.

The horizontal 17a of the base frame A has two right angled couplings 64and 65. One 64 extending inwardly of the base frame A and the other 65extends outwardly of the base frame.

The lower horizontal 18a of the base frame A has like sleeves similarlydisposed.

The end frames Ba and Ca swing around in respect to the base frame, theuprights 13a and 14a acting as rotating shafts.

The lower end of the step ladder Eis hinged to the lower horizontal 18a,and the paws of the upper end of the ladder rest detachably on thehorizontal 30a.

The dot dash arrow swing lines are shown. The top platform member Daswings down 90 into the vertical plane of the base frame A, as shown byline F.

The ladder En swings in the direction of line G.

The end frame Ba swings 270 to the front of the base frame Aa, as shownby the line H.

The other end frame Ca swings 90 to the inner side of the base frame Aa,as shown by the line I.

The compacted form is shown in Fig. 9. The platform member Da is notshown, because it either has been taken off or folds into the plane ofthe base frame Aa.

We wish it to be understood that we do not desire to be limited to theexact details of construction shown and described, for obviousmodifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

We claim:

l. In a portable scaffolding folding unit, the combination of a baseframe including a rst upright, a second upright and two horizontals, theupper of said horizontals disposed between and connecting said uprightsnear the upper ends thereof and the lower of said horizontals dis-Vposed between and connecting said uprights near the lower ends thereof,a irst and a second end frame, each of said end frames including anupright and two horizontals connected to said upright near the upper andlower end thereof, hinges for connecting theffree ends of saidhorizontals of said first end frame to said first upright of said baseframe and the free ends of said horizontals of said second end frame tosaid second upright of said base frame, a platform frame memberincluding at least two substantially parallel horizontals and atransverse horizontal, with said parallel horizontals connected to saidtransverse horizontal, said transverse horizontal being removablyconnected to the upper horizontals of said end frames in the proximityof said uprights of said end frames for retaining said end frames atsubstantially right angles with respect to said base frame againstcollapse of said folding unit, and hinges for connecting said parallelhorizontals of said platform frame member to the upper horizontal ofsaid base frame, whereby said folding unit is adapted to be collapsed bydetaching said transverse horizontal of said platform frame member fromsaid upper horizontals of said end frames, and pivoting said platformframe member, said first end frame and said second end frame about saidupper horizontal, said rst upright and said second upright of said baseframe, respectively.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein brackets are rigidly connectedwith said first and said second upright of said base frame for spacingsaid hinges connecting said free ends of said horizontals of said rstend frame from said iirst upright of said base frame, and said free endsof said horizontals of said second end frame from said second upright ofsaid base frame, thelength of said brackets on said first upright beinggreater than the length of said brackets on said second upright, wherebysaid end frames may be swung into planes parallel to each other andparallel with the plane of said base frame.

References Cited in the tile of this patent I UNITED STATES PATENTS20,579 Page June 15, 1858 250,343 Cluif Dec. 6, 1881 620,069 Cobb Feb.21, 1899 1,626,145 Mitchell Apr. 26, 1927 1,912,947 Martin June 6, 19332,191,051 Uecker et al. Feb. 20, 1940 2,312,602 Taylor Mar. 2, 19432,315,595 Chappory Apr. 6, 1943 2,438,173 Johnson et al. Mar. 23, 1948FOREIGN PATENTS y 766,460 France June 28, 1934

